A conventional connector of this kind will be described with reference to FIG. 9 to FIG. 11. In the drawings, 1 denotes a connector, and a number of contact pins 3 are fixed in parallel rows to left and right opposite side portions (upper and lower portions in FIG. 1) of a mold 2 of the connector 1, and are arranged to be exposed to the exterior from the left and right opposite sides of the mold 2. And, a circuit board (not shown) such as a flexible board is provided at lower surfaces of contact pins 3, and the contact pins 3 are soldered to the circuit board to be electrically connected thereto. The circuit board is connected to other electronic parts.
Then, a plug (not shown) is fitted to the connector, and contact pins of the plug are connected to the contact pins 3 of the connector 1, and by doing so electronic parts connected to the plug are electrically connected to the electronic parts connected to the connector 1 via the flexible board.
Also, there is known an electric connector which is a connector in which a plug connector and a receptacle connector are fitted together and which is constructed such that a resilient force is imparted to contact pins of the receptacle connector so that good contact of the contact pins with contact pins of the plug connector can be maintained (For example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-26102A)
Further, there is known a cover-equipped connector having a construction in which a cover is provided at a plug insertion port of the connector, and the intrusion of foreign matters between contact pins of a plug and contact pins of the connector is prevented by the cover so as to prevent electrical short-circuiting and breakage of the connector (For example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-340753A).
The above-mentioned conventional connector is constructed such that the plug or the like is connected to the connector so as to electrically connect the electronic parts electrically connected to the plug to the electronic parts connected to the connector. The contact pins of the connector are fixed to the mold, and also are connected to terminals of the circuit board by soldering or the like.
However, the contact pins of the connector are soldered in such a manner that the contact pins are exposed to the exterior, and therefore may be damaged by an external impact, and besides the contact pins may be subjected to short-circuiting by the intrusion of foreign matters, and therefore this has been the cause of a degraded quality.